Tuesday, November 10, 2015

We asked this question on Christ in Prophecy of our special guest, Rafael Cruz, the father of one of the United States senators from Texas and presidential candidate, Ted Cruz. He joined us to discuss what he believes are some of the greatest dangers to American democracy and freedom.

[Note: Lamb & Lion Ministries does not endorse any particular presidential candidate. The following interview has been lightly edited for grammatical purposes.]

Life Under Communism

Nathan Jones: Mr. Cruz, let's begin by sharing your incredible life story. I want to hear about how you escaped Cuba after living under two dictators.

Rafael Cruz: I grew up under a very oppressive military dictatorship. During the seven years Batista was dictator he killed over 20,000 people! The Revolution started in the high schools and the universities. I remember during that time there was this young, charismatic leader talking about hope and change. His name was Fidel Castro. I got involved in the Revolution, and as a result of that, I was arrested, imprisoned and tortured.

Even though I did not know God, He knew me. By the grace of God I was able to leave Cuba legally on a student visa. I came to the University of Texas late in 1957 still thinking that Castro was a good guy. Well, in 1959 when Castro took over, I went back to Cuba at the end of the summer. Did I have a great shock, because this same man that had been talking about hope and change was now talking about how the rich were evil, about how they oppress the poor, and about the need to redistribute the wealth. Castro began confiscating private property. He began attacking the freedom of the press. He began attacking the freedom of religion.

To give you an idea of Castro's methods, his soldiers would come into a kindergarten class and they would say to the kids, "Alright, kids, close your eyes and pray to God for candy. Where's the candy? No candy." Then his soldiers would say, "Alright, close your eyes again and pray to Fidel for candy." While the kids had their eyes closed, very quietly the soldiers would place candy on all the desks.

I mentioned this story a few years ago at a meeting and a lady from Romania told me that Ceausescu did identically the same thing. Communism, Socialism, Marxism — it's all the same, so let's not get caught in the semantics. These ideologies need for government to become your god, and in order to do that, they must destroy the concept of God.

That's the motivation for what's behind all these attacks on Christianity that we are seeing today in America.

Dr. Reagan: I had the opportunity to go to Cuba a few years ago to teach at a seminary. I have been all over Eastern Europe and all over Russia before Communism fell, and yet I never saw a society so depressed as Cuba. People there just feel like they have no hope. They are living in mass poverty. The middle class was destroyed by Castro. People don't understand that when he came to power he confiscated everything.

Rafael Cruz: Absolutely. Most people don't really understand the myth about everybody being equal in Communism.

Nathan Jones: Under Communism the people are all equally poor, right?

Rafael Cruz: That's right, though there are really three classes. The first is the government where they all live like millionaires because they've confiscated everybody's wealth. Second, you have the army who are the enforcers. Then, third, you have the people. It is true, though, the people are all equal — they all equally starve!

Dr. Reagan: When I was at the Cuban seminary, I looked across the street and I noticed there was a little grocery store. Next to the grocery store there was a sign on a door that talked about how this was the neighborhood watch. I don't exactly remember the title of the watch. I asked somebody what this meant and they said that is where the person has his office who watches their neighborhood. They watch everything in the neighborhood. All of Cuba is divided under these watches. If they see anything that changes, and anything that looks like people have some money that they shouldn't have, they report it and get rewarded for doing so. You've got somebody watching you all the time in Cuba.

Rafael Cruz: Absolutely, yes, Cuba has a person on every block who is the Castro's spy for that block. Then every six blocks they have one guy watching those six guys! It's all that way across the country.

As a matter of fact, Cuba even has food police. Everything is rationed in Cuba. To give you an idea, meat is rationed to a half a pound per person per month. We eat a half a pound of meat in one sitting. But, that is the monthly ration. And, you still have to buy your meat! What happens is people hoard food, or they trade food, and so forth. If the watchers catch you with additional food, you'll be put in jail. They call that hoarding.

Dr. Reagan: Mr. Cruz, one of your comments that you make over and over, and I've read this many times, you are quoted as saying, "I am standing up against certain dangerous trends in America, because if America goes the way of Cuba, there's no place to flee to."

Rafael Cruz: Absolutely. I must have told my son, Ted, that a dozen times. When I lost my freedom in Cuba, I had a place to come to — America. If we lose our freedoms here in America, where are we going to go? There is just no place to go.

Dr. Reagan: Where is there another place like this country that you came to all that time ago, where you, as an immigrant, arrived with $100, and you started going to school, and you were given all of the opportunities that you've had, and then you have a son running for President of the United States? This nation is unbelievable!

Rafael Cruz: That is the greatness of America. America is the greatest country on the face of the earth. How dare our current President say that the United States is not an exceptional country. This is the most exceptional country on the face of the earth!

Dr. Reagan: President Obama spends most of his time going around the world apologizing to everybody for America. We are the ones after all who in World War II defeated the Nazis, and yet we are apologizing?

Rafael Cruz: I love America so much. This is the only country on the face of the earth founded on the Word of God. It was founded by men and women seeking the freedom to serve God. We've seen how God has used America. America has evangelized the rest of the world.

In the second segment of our interview of Rafael Cruz, we'll look at how Americans are losing their freedoms.

10 comments:

Anne
said...

Thankyou so much for this interview with Rafael Cruz who understands the downfall of Socialism. We just pray for God's guidance and a President who understands as well. The Lord tears down Kingdoms and builds them up.

Dr Reagan, the U.S. might be an exceptional country. However I can't accept that "We are the ones after all who in World War II defeated the Nazis,". That comment is a slap in the face for every Allied country's servicemen who fought and died in that conflict. Contrary to popular belief, everything is not "bigger and better in the US of A". There is a ground swell of belief around the free world, that the current Obama Administration is doing more harm than good to his own country, but please, don't imply that God's great hand is only on the U.S.

ooooh Billy, the USA is a great place, but as individuals, I'm surprised how many yanks can scream like stuck pigs when they think someone is having a pot-shot at them!I think that Great Southland has a good point, albeit dating back to 1945. Check the honour-rolls in Canada. I'm absolutely positive everyone of the deceased believed that they helped defeat Nazi Germany.I think that the "Get over yourselves" is perhaps a little bit closer to home in the good ol' US of A!

First, if either of you, Great Southland or James were honest in your posts you would acknowledge that Dr. Reagan blasts America (which could now be called AmeriKa under it's successfully Obama inspired fundamental transformation) for it's current state.

From Dr. Reagan's "A Prophetic Manifesto":

"America is finished. We as a nation have turned our back on God. We have kicked Him out of our schools and out of the public arena. We have decleared Him to be off-limits."

Pretty powerful condemnation of a country that you claim is being wrongfully praised.

From Dr. Reagan's "A Prophetic Manifesto":

"Since 1973 we have murdered our babies in their mothers' wombs at the rate of 4,000 per day..."

"We spend $2.8 billion dollars per year on Internet pornography..."

"...over 17.6 million adults (are) alcholhics..."

"We have forsaken the nation of Israel..."

"Gangs are terrorizing our cities."

These are just a few of the 37 pages in the manifesto published in 2012.

He has also written books and articles that fully address the corrupt soul of a nation. So I don't think anyone is blindly flag waving and taking up the cause of America at Lamb & Lion.

America was a different nation then. It was not perfect and still had sinful tendencies (like segregation), as no nation run by men can be perfect. Nations are as flawed and sinful as the people in them. The only perfect world will be the one to come that will be ruled by our Lord Jesus.

However, for all it's failings, America can be proud of it's achievement of the defeat of the evils of Nazi Germany and Japan. Western Europe with the exception of England had been overrun and occupied by the Nazis. England was only able to defend itself from being invaded. England was not able to prevent the Nazi takeover of Europe, Scandinavia and northern Africa. England had some success in Africa but that was of no consequence in Europe.

Russia was not an ally. The Russians made a "deal with the devil" in their non-aggression pact with Hitler. Russia was an atheistic communist country that shared no values in any way with the western world. The only reason they fought the Nazis was because Hitler attacked them. They were perfectly okay with Hitler when he gave them part of eastern Europe as part of the pact.

If the United States did not enter WWII, there is no way England would have been able to stop Germany. Russia and Germany would have fought it out on the eastern front likely to a stalemate leading to Russia controlling all of eastern Europe while Hitler would maintain control of western Europe.

The entry of the United States in WWII is the catalyst for the defeat of Hitler. Creating a formidable fighting force in western Europe and Africa along with the Russian attack in the east led to the downfall of the Nazis.

The United States was a superpower that was able to fight a war in Europe and the Pacific against the Japanese at the same time and come out victorious. England was certainly not capable of this. The best England could do was to hold off an invasion, not lead a victorious offensive. They fought for years without resolution and victory only came after the US entry into the war.

That being said, it is not debatable that America had allies in WWII. They were a significant part of the victory and should be praised and proud of their contribution. But my point is, you bash anyone who glorifies the victorious America campaigns in WWII as a put down to other nations that contributed. It is not a put down. It is a statement of fact.

America defeated the Nazis and Japanese which were two major evils in the world. Americans should always be proud of the FACT that we were the key to this victory among all the nations joined in the fight.

I am thankful for the wonderful time we have had in America that was due to blessings from the Lord. Man has now passed the point of no return, like the days of Noah, we would all like revival, but as long as there are those who do not understand how they must be saved and repent, I doubt we can get our Lord's blessings back on America.

I agree with you completely. It is too late. My friend and I at work have been studying Revelation at lunch time for a couple months and the descriptions of the hearts of those living in the end time fit perfectly with the people of current day America.

The atheists, leftists, and secularists of the politically correct (i.e. most intolerant people in all of history) have forced their idolatry onto America and fundamentally transformed this nation. I believe the main way they did this was taking over two things...one is the media and two is the educational system. They are now working on the third which will finalize their complete takeover. That is the church.

With control of the media, the educational system and soon the church they have brainwashed the younger generation. The label for the upcoming youth should be the "Tribulation Generation". These poor young people have had their minds poisoned to the point that I fear many will make the worst irreversible decision one can make and someday worship the beast and take his mark. Congratulations you atheists, secularists, leftists...you have condemned your children to eternal suffering.

Please Lord, save as many of these as you can from the evil that is warping their minds!

To the guy that objected to the thought that the United States was responsible for defeating hitler and his cohorts... study history and you will find what won the war was our ability to manufacture more weapons and equipment than anybody else which kept the war effort very well supplied.

In the end it was our industrial strength that the axis powers could not defeat or overcome. so, we were the driving force behind the victory and if we had not been a massive industrial power, the war would have ended badly because hitler almost brought some very devastating weapons of mass destruction into the war but we overwhelmed the enemy before that could happen.

Our allies were well aware and were / are thankful we feed the war effort with massive amounts of weapons and equipment.